Crimson Passion
by Hell Jashin
Summary: It had been him all along. It wasn't Yuuki who Kuran wanted. It was him- Kiryu Zero. All those attacks, the closeness, the protection... it was all directed at him. Kaname was not jealous of him, he was jealous of Ichiru being too close to him.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight.**

**Pairings: KanamexZero, ZeroxIchiru (?)**

**Warnings: yaoi, blood, more than brotherly affection (?)**

**Title: Crimson Passion**

**A/N: So there might be more than brotherly affection in the beginning and perhaps throughout the fic, but I assure you, this will be a KanamexZero fic. The plot will develop over time as will the relationship between the pureblood and prefect.**

**Summary: It had been him all along. It wasn't Yuuki who Kuran wanted. It was him- Kiryu Zero. All those attacks, the closeness, the protection... it was all directed at him and through it all, he was as ignorant as a little child only caring about Ichiru's health, which only further fueled Kaname's hatred for his twin.**

_**Chapter One: Blood Lusts After Blood**_

The cool water was quickly splattered on his face. It was a pleasant feeling, none of which Zero had too often now, especially with a certain pureblood on his tail. He did not know where all those stares and creepy follow-ups came from, but he did know that he had caught Kuran's attention.

Therefore, Zero concluded that this 'match' pertained to Yuuki _again_. In retrospect, besides being the guardian of the academy and Yuuki's friend, there was nothing about the girl that he actually liked, romantic wise, of course. Thinking of the pureblood now, brought Zero back to a memory that happened just two days ago. A memory that wasn't quite pleasant.

_Flashback:_

_A hand eased its way onto Zero's shoulder. It was flung back, though, as the silver-haired boy abruptly stood and swooshed around to face the occupant. He had really expected the arrogant pureblood to grace himself with his unwanted presence, yet the prefect's wild, fiery eyes met concerned light lavender ones._

_Ichiru._

_He allowed his violent features to crumble in a mere second when he was with his twin, doing nothing more than regarding the younger with tolerance and love. Zero watched affectionately as Ichiru lifted a hand up to lightly caress at his fallen bangs, efficiently sweeping it away from his eyes, before bringing his face closer for a peck on the cheek._

_"Are you okay, Zero?" he asked lightly as they maintained their close distance. _

_Albeit being twins meant they looked quite alike, if not an exact replica, Ichiru was more caring and compromising than Zero on the exterior. He tended to look after him more often than so, watching over Zero as if he were the most precious jewel in the world, and him alike, would do the same for Ichiru. _

_That is what kept their bonds more closer than any other batch of twins; this is why their relationship seemed so steady and understanding. _

_"I'm fine, Ichiru," he replied after what seemed like a millennian. His twin's lips creased in a small frown, but the younger did not further bid in Zero's unwanted confessions of his former mood. _

_A sudden movement caught Ichiru's attention and with a small gasp did he notice that his Nii-san had buried his face in his neck, nuzzling with great warmth. He smiled sadly, though, when he felt a small, sharp graze across his neck made by Zero's fangs._

_He should have known. His Zero-nii was thirsty._

_Wrapping his arms around Zero's neck and cradling his head lovingly, he gently urged his twin closer to his neck._

_"It's okay, Zero," he murmured. "Go ahead and drink. I'll be okay, but you won't be if you keep doing this. I'd rather you feed from me."_

_The elder twin's eyes flashed red and he hesitated a mere second before sinking his fangs into the younger's neck. A thin trail of blood trailed down Ichiru's neck and stained his white-collar shirt. He released a small moan of pain as he threaded his fingers through Zero's silver strands and closed his eyes when he heard the dull noises of the gulps the elder took._

_When Ichiru opened his eyes once again, Zero had already withdrawn his fangs and was now lapping at the twin punctured holes in his neck. A melancholy expression formed on the prefect's face when he lifted his head away from his brother's neck._

_"I'm so sorry, Ichiru," he whispered, resting his forehead against the other's. The twin shook his head and smiled briefly at him. Another second later, Ichiru had collapsed in his arms, making the elder feel guilt eat him up from the interior. Laying his Otouto between his legs and resting his back against the closest trunk, he wrapped his arms around his now defenseless sibling and laid his cheek on top of that mop of hair, offering as much comfort possible to his unconscious twin._

_Slow, steady footsteps... he could hear them._

_"What do you want, Kuran?" he growled, whipping his head around to glare at the pureblood merely a few meters away and who was still moving closer. _

_"Ah... I see your senses have improved, Kiryu. I must say, I'm impressed. That was quite some affection you showed to your twin- Ichiru, was it?" The statements flowed so smoothly from the young pureblood and the fact that he was but three feet away from Zero's figure enraged the prefect._

_"Stay away from me, Kuran! I have no intention to participate in your little games, and right now, I want to be away from your 'company'!"_

_Kaname merely brushed the comment off like a speckle of dust on his uniform. He chuckled, from what Zero's ears could tell him, yet it wasn't that of an honest cackle. It sounded so malevolent and resentful._

_"Protective are we, Kiryu?" Kaname gestured at Ichiru's limp body with narrowed eyes. _

_The prefect glared at Kaname with pure irritation and hatred as he brought his twin's body closer to him. He opted to not play Kuran's little game and remained silent._

_"You and him seemed closer than any normal twins, Kiryu. So close, in fact, that I may think ill of what really is happening behind this _brotherly _affection. Do you deem me wrong, Kiryu?"_

_Zero's eyes automatically burned holes in the pureblood's own orbs that gleamed lightly with amusement and... fury? Zero mentally shook his head, though he could have sworn he had caught a glimpse of a tint of bury frustration and anger in those eyes._

_"He is my twin and the one I care most about in this world, and I would deem it correct to slaughter you if you ever lay a hand on him or hurt him in any way."_

_The pureblood had the audacity to smile innocently at him. _

_"And how, pray tell, may I hurt him when he is already unconscious in the hands of a vampire who drank his blood till he rendered unconsciousnes and is also the man who promises to keep him safe."_

_Zero's eyes shadowed in remorse as he, once again, buried his head in the younger twin's neck and lapped at the holes that were slowly sealing themselves. _

_If he would've looked up at the vampire, he would not have mistaken the jealousy that burned bright in those brown orbs._

_"And what will you do when you cannot once again control the part of you that lusts after blood in the company of Yuki? Will you drink till she collapses from the extended loss of blood? I assure you, Kiryu, I will not allow that to happen."_

_"And what are you proposing, Kuran?!" the prefect finally shouted._

_In a flash, the vampire disappeared and before Zero could sense his whereabouts, the pureblood's face was centimeters away from him. _

_"That you drink my blood, Kiryu," he whispered almost lethally. _

_Zero could feel the warm breath cascading across his lips and almost flinched at what the pureblood had said and done._

_"If you drink my blood, Kiryu, you will no longer suffer from such bloodlusts. Your body will crave, yet you will be able to control it for certain amounts of time." There was a brief pause before he continued. "You wouldn't want to turn into a Level E and accidetally kill your beloved _brother._ Would you, Kiryu?" he taunted._

_Zero's eyes widened in hysterics, however, he composed himself quite quickly and lifted two hands to shove the vampire away._

_"No! I will never drink you blood, Kuran!" he hissed. "Never in a million years!"_

_Even as he said this though, his eyes trailed after the vampire's nail, which had finally cut along the nape of his neck and allowed a thin trail of blood to appear._

_"Really, Kiryu? Do you really not want my blood? The taste of a pureblood's?" Kaname smirked in satisfaction as Zero's eyes hungrily stared at that gleaming crimson liquid, but the gratification in his eyes disappeared and appeared brutally murderous when an oblivious Zero, of his feelings, dug his face into his twin's neck and shut his eyes tightly, in which he muttered a mantra to his twin._

_Kaname growled quietly as Zero tried to ignore the smell of his blood in the atmosphere. Zero was inhaling his twin's comforting scent and avoiding his existence._

_"You will come to me, Kiryu, when you know how much danger you are putting _Ichiru _in."_

_The pureblood vanished right after, leaving behind a slighly trembling Kiryu._

_End of Flashback_

Zero gasped slightly as he turned the knob off. What had he done to receive the pureblood's pestering?

He was about to reach over for the towel that hung itself on the rack on his left, but a shattering pain in his stomach and throat prevented him from doing so.

He groaned in pain as his hands came to grip at the counter for support against his trembling urges he slowly maneuvered himself onto the tiled floor. Blood tablets did nothing to help his condition at the moment, attracting Zero's keen senses into his room where he could hear a familiar heartbeat.

Oh god. What was Ichiru doing in their room at this time of the day? He couldn't feed; not from his Otouto, never from Ichiru again.

But why? Why were his legs carrying him over to the exit of the bathroom door? Why was he allowing himself to do so?

Zero gripped at the knob painfully, flinging the door open and not once did he flinch as it slammed into the opposite wall.

Ichiru was different though. Although his back was facing Zero, he could see the slight jump of his figure before Ichiru turned around. His twin showed something akin to surprise before he broke out a smile.

"Hey Zero. I just thought that we could-"

The blood. He could hear it pumping through his Otouto's veins as he slinked closer to him.

The prefect opened his arms. The younger teen was neck and chest bare, apparently in his process of changing, open to his hungry eyes that nearly pierced through Ichiru's neck if he would have stared any longer.

Ichiru stared in confusion with a marred frown. "What is it, Zero?" he questioned. He opened his arms anyhow though, still voicing his concern.

The blood. Zero could remember how sweet Ichiru tasted on his tongue. He couldn't stop himself as he lunged at that moment, the brutal force of speed knocking both of them onto the bed behind the younger twin. Ichiru went down with an audiable yelp as the prefect groaned and buriedhis face into that sweet-smelling neck.

Ichiru looked slightly dazed, before he focused his gaze on his twin. "Are you thirsty again, bro?" He knew the answer to that though, relaxing his body and allowing Zero to do what he needed.

_Again._

That single term froze Zero's body. This was Ichiru; the person who he vowed to protect at all costs, and here he was, opening his mouth like the monster he was, about to feed on his own brother. He couldn't _wouldn't _do this. Not to Ichiru. Not to anyone.

With that in mind, Zero scrambled off of his twin, quickly rushing out of the room with only a single phrase grasping his lips.

_'I'm so sorry, Ichiru.'_

He threw open their dorm door, and disappeared through there without a second thought. Zero needed to distance himself from his twin. He couldn't hurt Ichiru anymore.

It had only been two days since he had fed. Usually, blood like Ichiru's would last the prefect at least six days before he went mad, but now, it was growing quicker. His body was quickly turning into that of a Level E's.

Zero shook his head in frustration as he ran into the night with only one destination in mind.

The Moon Dorms.

He needed to speak with Kuran, no matter how much he detested the pureblood.

No matter how much Zero tried to deny it, Kuran was right. He couldn't allow his state to endanger Ichiru. He needed a cure. As Zero reached the double doors that lead to the inside of the mansion-like dorm, he remembered the pain-filled moan that Ichiru released when Zero fed from him.

Yes, he needed the help of Kaname Kuran.


End file.
